


Red Flag

by theflyinganonymouse



Series: powers au [1]
Category: GOT7
Genre: Action, Agent AU, BAMF!boys, Gen, Minor death, Violence, first in the series, powers, seriously some kick ass moves, team centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-20 13:37:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6008284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theflyinganonymouse/pseuds/theflyinganonymouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>G7 are tasked with retrieving data from a rival company. What they think will be a normal mission throws up some surprises along the way, leaving them with more questions than answers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I'm planning on this being the introductory piece to a much wider series set in the same universe. So everyone will get a back story and there will be random one shots here and there, hopefully all culminating in a multi-chap fic that is still in the planning stages. Please be patient with me, I dream big but I have a short attention span. Please let me know what you think - it means a lot to me!

The man sauntered into the building as if he owned the place. There was a lazy smile tugging at his lips that was almost at odds with the way he held himself, straight-backed and unassuming and yet, somehow, drawing the attention of everyone in the lobby. He didn't bother pulling out any ID on reaching the security gates, there was no point. Everyone knew this face.

He stepped through the metal detectors and no one stopped him when he continued deeper into the building, the detector beeping shrilly in his wake. The elevator was waiting for him and he stepped into the large space without looking back. He admired himself in the mirrored walls and straightened his tie unnecessarily. A smirk had replaced the smile of earlier.

 _Laying it on a bit thick, aren't you?_ A voice in his head asked.

 _I'm playing a part._ He answered. _Don't ruin my fun, hyung._

He didn't receive an answer and he hadn't expected one. It wasn't like it was exactly the best time to strike up a bit of friendly banter. Not like that usually stopped him but the others had _rules_ , especially on missions like these.

The elevator stopped on the twenty-fifth floor and he stepped out into an even more extravagant lobby than the one on the ground floor. Everything was made from expensive marble that shone brilliantly in the light from the floor to ceiling windows and the furniture was too sleek and modern to really be comfortable. It looked expensive and probably cost more than he'd earn in a lifetime which infuriated him as much as it awed him. He was a person who was both used to and expected the finer things in life but this was beyond even his wildest dreams. Still, he swaggered into the room as if it was the most ordinary place in existence, as if the opulence of it all bored him.

He flirted with the girl behind the reception desk before entering the office directly behind it and closing the door firmly behind himself.

_I'm in._

_Jinyoung and Youngjae are entering as planned._ The voice said as he took a seat at the surprisingly messy desk. _They'll be in place in 10 minutes._

 _What a waste of my time._ He lamented, pulling drawers open at random and rifling through them. _I should have brought a book._

_You don't read._

_I'm just as much an intellectual as Jinyoung-ssi._ He protested even as he found what he was looking for.

 _I don't think Vogue and Grazia are quite on the same level as F. Scott Fitzgerald._ The voice said, dryly, but he wasn't really listening anymore, too busy preening in the small compact mirror he had found.

 _Do you think he'll miss this mirror?_ He asked instead. _It's much nicer than the one I have._

 _I think the diamond encrusted initials on the case might be a bit of a giveaway that it isn't yours._ The voice pointed out.

 _Please,_ he scoffed, _I can be whoever I want._

The voice didn't say anything.

_I'm going to take the fact that you didn't actually use the word 'no' as go ahead to take it. I'll tell Jaebum hyung that you said I could have it._

_As if he'll believe you._ The voice said.

_He only believes you about half the time._

Bambam slipped the mirror into his suit jacket before looking more seriously at the mess of papers scattered over the desk in front of him. None of it was particularly interesting or relevant to what they were doing but he did discover that the man he was morphed into liked to leave obscene doodles in the margins of important documents.

 _Probably doesn't get laid enough._ The voice in his head said.

 _Yeah, his proportions are all out._ He replied, grinning to himself as the voice spluttered before disappearing entirely.

His head felt strangely empty without the quiet little hum that accompanied the voice's presence in his mind, like he had suddenly lost half his hearing.

It was back soon enough.

_JB said that we have to concentrate._

_Killjoy._ He said back. _Where are Jinyoung and Youngjae?_

 _They're a minute out._ The voice told him.

_Time to get this party started._

_Don't have too much fun._

Bambam smiled to himself before schooling his face into an expression of pure rage. The door to office banged against the marble wall as he re-entered the reception area, every eye on him as he rounded on the girl he had been flirting with just a little while before.

“Where is it?” He demanded.

“I – I'm sorry.” She stuttered. “Where's what, sir?”

“Don't play stupid with me.” He shouted, pointing at her. “You know exactly what I'm talking about.”

 _She's been stealing from him for months._ The voice in his head supplied.

 _I'm not an idiot._ He snapped back. _There's no way she can afford those shoes on a secretary's salary, even at a company like this._

“I'm sorry, sir, I really don't-”

“My mirror! Where have you put it?” He motioned at the security guards stood by the elevator. “I want her bag checked.”

“Sir, please-.”

The elevator pinged open and two men dressed in sweaters and slacks stepped out, identity badges hanging from lanyards around their necks. They blinked owlishly at the bright lights and looked out of place in the grandeur that surrounded them.

“And who are you two clowns?” Bambam demanded, fighting down a smile.

 _They're going to get you back for that later._ The voice said.

_Totally worth it._

–

“We're here to fix a computer for Mr Chun.” Youngjae said with a deep bow, Jinyoung following his lead at his side.

 _Again._ The voice said. _One of the guards isn't quite there._

“We received a call about it yesterday.” Youngjae said, pushing the suggestion harder. “We were told to come this morning.”

 _Better._ The voice told him. _You'll be fine now._

“What are you just standing there for then?” The man Youngjae knew was Bambam asked. He waved his hand at the door they needed to enter, already turning back to the girl he had been shouting at before they had entered. “Get on with it. I'm not paying you to stand around gawking like idiots.

Youngjae and Jinyoung bowed again, pretending to act cowed, and disappeared into the office Bambam had pointed them in the direction of.

“I'm going to kill him.” Jinyoung muttered, taking up guard by the door as Youngjae all but ran to the computer, tripping over his feet as he went.

“He's only messing with you, hyung.” Youngjae said as he turned the computer on, taking a seat in the expensive leather chair behind the desk as he waited for the computer to boot up. “He knows how much you don't like it when he says things like that.”

Jinyoung snorted, “he's always careful to say stuff like that when I can't retaliate.”

Youngjae rolled his eyes, “he's not an idiot.”

The computer chimed and the login screen appeared. Youngjae quickly typed in Mr Chun's username and password as supplied to him by the voice in his head, relief shooting through him when both were accepted without any problems.

 _Don't you trust me?_ The voice asked.

“Of course.” He answered out loud and then repeated it again in his mind, having momentarily forgotten himself.

“I can't believe you still aren't used to that.” Jinyoung said but he was smiling softly, his eyes creasing. It was one of his favourite things to tease Youngjae about. “How long have you been with us?”

“It feels weird.” Youngjae offered up his usual excuse, shrugging his shoulders and spinning the chair from side to side. “Like I'm going crazy.”

 _I'm hurt._ The voice said but it sounded anything but.

 _Don't you have anything better to do?_ Youngjae asked in return.

 _Not until you've got the address._ Was the response he received and had expected.

“Are you in?” Jinyoung asked.

“I'm just opening his emails now.” Youngjae answered before his shoulders slumped. “We need another password.”

“Doesn't the one you used to log into the computer work?” Jinyoung asked, leaving his post by the door to come stand at Youngjae's side.

Youngjae typed in the same password as before but got an error notification in response, “no, it's something different.”

“Shit.” Jinyoung muttered.

 _Try the drawers._ The voice said, the slight echo signifying the words were being spoken in both of their minds. _Look for a notepad or something. His memory wasn't that good, he'll have written it down somewhere._

Youngjae pulled at the top drawer of the desk, “it's locked.”

“It looks as if it's my time to shine.” Jinyoung said, wiggling his eyebrows at Youngjae and maintaining eye contact as he put one of his hands through the solid wood of the drawer.

Youngjae looked away and huffed, “you know I don't like it when you do that.”

 _The eye contact is a bit too much._ The voice agreed.

Jinyoung laughed and as hard as Youngjae tried he couldn't keep a straight face. His smile only brightened further when Jinyoung pulled a small, leather-bound notepad from the top drawer. He flicked through a couple of pages before passing it over to Youngjae, tapping at some writing halfway down the page.

Youngjae laughed, “pineapple101?”

“Simple but effective.” Jinyoung straightened and stretched. “I don't think either one of us would have guessed that.”

“True.” Youngjae nodded as he entered the password, his smile growing when it was accepted. “It's not going to take long for me to get what we need now. Are you going to check the safe?”

Jinyoung moved to the painting on the wall opposite the desk, pulling at its edges before swinging it away from the wall and revealing the safe behind.

“How did you know it was going to be there?” Youngjae asked, his eyes rapidly flicking through the emails on the screen in front of him.

Jinyoung shrugged, “it's where they always are in the movies.”

Youngjae laughed and shook his head, hardly able to believe that this was his life now. It wasn't what he would have chosen for himself, there was too much danger and uncertainty, but it was amazing all the same.

“Got it.” Youngjae said after a couple of minutes of silence, a thrill of excitement bubbling in the pit of his stomach, his eyes flicking up to see the top half of Jinyoung's body phased into the safe.

 _Did you catch that?_ He asked.

 _Good work._ The voice said and Youngjae swelled with pride. _We're in transit. See what Jinyoung's found and then get out of there. I don't know how much longer Bambam's going to be able to keep going._

 _What do you mean?_ Youngjae asked, suddenly feeling apprehensive.

 _He's running out of people to make cry._ The voice deadpanned and Youngjae let out a sigh of relief. _Don't be surprised if he's sobbing when you're on your way out, you know how he gets._

Youngjae made short work of shutting down the computer. He was just getting to his feet when Jinyoung pulled himself out of the safe.

“Find anything?” Youngjae asked.

“Yeah.” Jinyoung said and for the first time since entering the building he sounded uncertain.

“What is it?” Youngjae asked, coming to stand by his side.

“I'm not sure.” Jinyoung said.

He was turning an A5 sized envelope over in his hands and he passed it to Youngjae when the younger reached out to take it.

“G7?” Youngjae murmured, reading the writing on the front of the envelope. “But that's us.”

“Not necessarily.” Jinyoung said, slowly, clearly thinking the situation through. “It could be anything. But I think we should take it just in case, it seems like too much of a coincidence.”

“Shouldn't we open it now?” Youngjae asked.

Jinyoung shook his head, “no, we'll give it to JB once we're back at the dorm. He'll know better than us if it means anything.”

–

 _Jinyoung and Youngjae are in the elevator._ Mark said and Jaebum's eyes involuntarily moved to the rear-view mirror. Mark hadn't moved, of course, still slumped against the car door with his eyes closed and mouth hanging slightly open, and Jaebum returned his gaze to the road. _They'll be out in five._

_And Bambam?_

_I'll let you know, I don't think he's quite at a point yet where he can leave without making anyone suspicious._

Jaebum sighed, _he always pushes things too far._

“What are you sighing about?” Jackson asked.

“Bambam.” Jaebum said and that was enough of an explanation for Jackson.

“He does a good job.” Yugyeom protested, defending their absent team-mate and, rather predictably, being loyal to a fault.

“I'm not saying that he doesn't.” Jaebum replied. “It's just that he always goes further than the mission needs. It's going to get him in trouble one of these days.”

“You worry too much.” Jackson said, playing with the dial of the radio.

“And you don't worry enough.” Jaebum pointed out, slapping Jackson's hand away and then groaning when the station the radio ends up being left on is playing some pop song that is too upbeat for Jaebum's current mood.

Jackson flashed him a megawatt smile, “and what do I have to worry about, oh great leader?”

“I can make life very difficult for you.” Jaebum reminded him but Jackson didn't seem to care.

“How far have we got to go?” He asked.

“This place is in the old industrial district.” Yugyeom said, looking at the GPS. “Clear on the other side of the city. If the traffic's holds up like this then I'd say another half an hour.”

“Plenty of time for you to clean your guns.” Jaebum shot Jackson a smile that was a little bit too sweet.

“The girls are clean enough, thank you very much.” Jackson sniffed.

“You could sharpen your sword.” Yugyeom said.

Jackson turned in his seat to glare at Yugyeom, “do you want to get hit?”

“Depends.” Yugyeom shrugged. “Do you want to have a broken hand?”

Jackson's eyes narrowed and Yugyeom held his gaze, grinning openly.

“I hate you.” Jackson said before flopping back into his chair, staring out of the front of the car and pouting like a child.

“You're just jealous.” Yugyeom teased.

“What's there to be jealous of?” Jackson countered.

“Kids.” Jaebum warned before they could descend into the same argument that they'd had a thousand times before. “We're on a mission.”

“You started it, hyung.” Yugyeom pointed out.

“I don't care who started it.” Jaebum said and he wondered if this is what their handler felt on a day to day basis. “It ends here.”

 _Very mature._ Mark said.

 _Don't you start._ Jaebum snapped. _Where's Bambam?_

_He's just making his parting speech. I'll let you know when he's in the van with the others._

_That boy is going to give me a heart attack one of these days._

Mark chose not to dignify him with a response and their journey continued in silence for the next ten minutes or more as each of them ran through their objectives for their part of the mission.

Movement in the rear-view mirror caught Jaebum's eye and Mark smiled at him as he stretched in his seat.

“Did Bambam get out okay?” He asked.

Mark nodded and his voice held the familiar echo that meant he was speaking into more than one mind, _no problems. Junior is taking them to the rendezvous point now. I've told them they might be in for a bit of a wait._

“That's their problem.” Jaebum said with a grimace. He didn't envy Jinyoung in the slightest – a bored Bambam was an annoying Bambam. He hoped for Jinyoung's sanity that they'd be able to wrap up their part of the mission quickly. “We just need to concentrate on the job at hand.”

They parked the car on the edge of the industrial estate and continued on foot to the address Youngjae had found. They kept their pace casual and their faces schooled into expressions of disinterest, acting as if they'd seen this place a million times before.

There was a large number of people milling about, a mixture of those heading to work and those whose shifts had just finished, for such a run-down area of the city and Mark monitored the thoughts of everyone they passed to see if anyone paid any particular attention to them – it wasn't as if the sword on Jackson's back was expertly concealed underneath his jacket – but no one really looked at them twice.

The building the address took them to was an old factory and, unlike the buildings surrounding it, at first glance it seemed to be abandoned.

 _There are people inside._ Mark's voice echoed in all their heads. _But their thoughts aren't very clear, I'm going to have to get closer to be able to tell what they're saying._

 _Okay. Let's split up now, two people are less conspicuous that four._ Jaebum said, trusting Mark to pass on his words to the others. _Jackson and Yugyeom go around back, Mark and I will go in from the side._

Without a word Jackson and Yugyeom took off for the back of the building while first Jaebum and then Mark, being careful of watching eyes, scaled the wall and entered through a broken window. It was dark inside the factory, contrasting starkly with the bright morning sunshine outside, and it took a couple of minutes for Jaebum's eyes to adjust to the gloom.

“Clear?” He whispered, keeping to the shadows, preferring to speak out loud than communicate by thought.

_There's a guard on duty at the front entrance and another doing his rounds. He'll be passing by where Jackson and Yugyeom are planning on coming in in a minute. I've told them to hold off until I've given them the go-ahead._

“Any sign of anyone else?” Jaebum asked.

Mark nodded, _There's an underground complex, that's why I was struggling to pick up thoughts. There are quite a few people down there but I can't make out an exact number at the moment – they're too far underground. I'm guessing no more than 20._

“Okay. How do we get down?”

_There's three entrances: one close to the front entrance that leads straight down into the control room, another at the back of the building that leads to the labs and an emergency exit but neither of the guards seem exactly certain where it is._

Jaebum weighed up the information before issuing instructions, “tell Jackson and Yugyeom to continue heading towards the back. The information we're looking for is going to be kept in the labs. We'll head to the control room and clear it out, if we can act as their eyes and ears then we might be able to keep their presence quiet until we need to leave.”

Even in the darkness he could see Mark's eyes go glassy as he concentrated on passing on Jaebum's orders. He waited for them to clear again before motioning for Mark to follow him.

They slipped through the corridors, as stealthy as shadows, until they reached the front entrance. There was a small desk with a half-asleep guard sat behind it and it took very little effort for Jaebum to knock him out.

The elevator to the lower floor wasn't difficult to find and Mark entered the access code he had plucked from one of the guard's minds into the keypad before it would take them anywhere.

 _Jackson's taken out the second guard._ Mark told him as they started to descend. _They're going to wait until we've cleared the control room before going down into the labs._

“Are you going to be able to get a signal to them?” Jaebum asked.

Mark nodded and Jaebum didn't question him further. Mark knew what he was capable of, Jaebum just had to trust him. It was hard for him to do without really understanding the full extent of Mark's powers.

 _Six people_. Mark said to him as the elevator started to slow. _Four have guns._

The doors to the elevator opened and neither of them hesitated. There were three people out cold or dead on the floor before they'd even realised what had hit them.

Mark was deadly when it came to hand to hand combat despite his slight stature, relying more on precision and cunning than brute strength to take his opponents down, but Jaebum had been at the Company for longer and had had more years of practice. He could have taken the six men down without even breaking a sweat.

It was over in a matter of minutes.

Jaebum went through the bodies, stripping them of their weapons, and making sure that they wouldn't be getting up anytime soon as Mark accustomed himself to the security systems.

 _I've told Jackson and Yugyeom to enter._ Mark said when Jaebum came to stand by his side. _There'll be a couple of guards once they're underground, by the entrance to the labs, but they know to expect them._

Mark pointed at the screen that showed Jackson and Yugyeom in the second elevator.

“They missed a trick by not putting a camera in the elevator that we used.”

Mark shrugged, _they obviously thought having someone watching the entrance would be enough._

“Are you going to go in?” Jaebum asked as they watched the elevator doors opened.

Mark nodded and his eyes went glassy immediately, his whole body slumping where he stood, and Jaebum knew that the only way he'd be able to get his attention now would be through through his mind. At times like these, Mark's awareness of his surroundings faded away to nearly nothing which could be dangerous if there wasn't anyone to watch his back. It was necessary but Jaebum wished he wasn't the one left to do it.

He struggled to find the patience to sit and watch the action through the security camera feed. He was used to being involved in the action, if not the one leading his team straight into the combat zone, and he enjoyed being in the thick of it. It made him feel useful and meant that he could keep a proper eye on his team and make sure none of them got hurt. Lately, though, their missions had become more high-stakes and required a lot more subtlety, at least in the set-up, than his usual strategies allowed for. It left him both incredibly proud and endlessly frustrated because more often than not he was being left to make decisions from afar.

He knew that Jackson and Yugyeom worked well together and were more than a match for anyone they ran across but he was scared (though he'd never admit it to anyone in a million years) that one day they wouldn't be.

He shook his head to clear his mind of those thoughts. It wasn't something he should be thinking about during a mission and he forced himself to concentrate.

It took him nearly a full minute to find Jackson and Yugyeom on the monitors and when he did his heart nearly burst out of his chest because there was someone sneaking up behind them, gun drawn, and neither of them seemed to notice.

 _Behind you!_ Jaebum shouted in his mind so loud that Mark physically jumped.

But it was too late.

They span around just in time for the guard to start shooting and Jaebum watched, helplessly, as the bullets bounced off Yugyeom and Jackson fell to the floor.

 


	2. Chapter Two

Yugyeom's reaction was instantaneous.

He marched on the guard, not caring about the bullets that ricocheted off his chest and face, and he snatched the gun from his hands. In one sharp movement the gun was bent in half. In another, the guard's skull had been caved in and his lifeless body dropped to the floor. Yugyeom didn't care, not like he once had, and he wiped the other man's blood on his trousers without thought.

 _Clear._ Mark's voice said.

 _You said that last time._ Yugyeom snapped back at him as he moved to Jackson's side.

He flipped Jackson onto his back and patted at his face, looking for any signs of life. There were none. The front of his t-shirt was soaked with blood and peppered with holes from the bullets that had sunk into the skin below. He lifted the t-shirt out of the way, his heart thudding painfully in his chest and the bitter tang of blood in the air making him feel sick, and he counted the bullet holes still oozing blood.

There were seven.

_Is it bad?_

_Yes_. Yugyeom's words were short. _He's dead._

But even as he said that he could see movement in Jackson's chest. It was almost as if he was watching time go in reverse as the bullets moved to the top of the wounds they had created before being pushed out of Jackson's body completely. He watched as the blood stopped and the skin knitted itself together, leaving not a trace of what had happened behind.

Yugyeom picked the bullets up from Jackson's chest and waited for him to stir. It didn't take long.

Jackson smiled up at him, “if you wanted to see my abs all you had to do was ask.”

“Shut up.” Yugyeom said, his reserves of wit having run dry, and relief flooded through him. He helped Jackson to his feet and pressed the bullets into Jackson's palm, knowing the other's habit, and watched Jackson slip them into his trouser pocket. They continued in the direction that they had been going before the guard had caught them unaware. “We have to keep moving, it won't be long before someone else catches up with us.”

But even as he said those words he felt a jolt of unease run up his spine.

It was far too quiet.

 _They know we're here._ Mark's voice echoed. _They've started lockdown procedures – all non-military personnel have been moved to safe rooms._

“How?” Jackson both spoke and thought. “That's too quick. Were they expecting us?”

 _I don't know._ Mark's voice sounded frustrated. _One or two of them were but they seem to be the only ones. I don't – I think there's something more going on. I get the impression that there are more people than I can hear._

“What do you mean?” Yugyeom asked. “Are you sure you're just not having a bad day?”

 _I don't know._ Mark said again. _There are two rooms that they're guarding. The one you're headed to is the one where our target is. The second room is closer to our side of the complex, JB thinks we should check it out._

“It's got to be important.” Jackson said. “Or else why waste men defending it?”

“Unless it's a trap.” Yugyeom guessed.

_It doesn't feel like a trap._

“And your powers are suddenly working perfectly, are they?” Yugyeom snapped and the hum in his mind wavered momentarily before returning to its usual pitch.

He ignored the look that Jackson shot him. He wasn't quite ready to forgive Mark for his earlier mistake just yet. He was still too full of adrenaline and uncertainty and it made something in his gut twist painfully knowing that if Mark had made that mistake with anyone but him and Jackson they'd be dead.

Hell, Jackson _had_ died.

Yugyeom knew that it had been almost a weekly occurrence at one point, that he had seen Jackson die more times than he'd care to count, it wasn't even the first time he'd seen Jackson die on a mission but it was definitely the first time he'd seen it happen because of someone else's sloppiness.

And it wasn't that he was worried for himself, of course not, he was nigh on indestructible. The only thing that had ever floored him was the flu he had caught last year. Yugyeom had gone up against a speeding train and had still come off the best. Though, he did have to admit, he had been sore for a couple of days afterwards.

No, he wasn't scared for himself. How could he be when there were so many other people in his team, no, his family, that were a lot more breakable than he was?

 _Through the next set of doors._ Mark told them. _Get in and get out, we'll meet you by the car. If we're not there in five minutes then get out of there. We'll meet you at the rendezvous point. The others are already there._

The hum faded away into nearly nothing then and Yugyeom knew that Mark and Jaebum must be getting close to the other room.

“Well, that wasn't pessimistic at all.” Jackson muttered under his breath as they neared the double doors Mark had mentioned. He pulled his guns free from the holsters on his hips and flashed Yugyeom his best smile, “human shield?”

Yugyeom rolled his eyes, “get behind me then. And don't shoot me this time!”

“Oh my God, that only happened four times.” Jackson protested even as he stepped behind Yugyeom and the younger knew he was enjoying this a bit too much. “And only one of them wasn't on purpose. I'm a very good shot, I'll have you know.”

Yugyeom rolled his eyes and started the count down, “Three, two, one.”

Then they were through the door.

–

There were more people by their room than the one Jackson and Yugyeom were at. He could hear the buzzing of their thoughts and they got louder and louder the closer they got. Unusually, some were fainter than others and Mark pulled at those strands of thoughts the most. They were hard to grasp and he found himself getting frustrated. He had never had this problem before.

He pulled tighter at the royal blue chord that represented Jaebum's thoughts, the other five pulsing and vibrating in the knot at the centre of his mind, _there's something strange going on. I can't get a hold on some of the people-._

 _How many are there?_ Jaebum cut him off.

 _Twelve._ Mark told him. _Double what the kids are up against. I was wrong earlier, about the amount of people that are down here._

 _We'll talk about it later._ Jaebum told him. _After we've gotten out of here._

They were close now and the black threads of thoughts he could grasp quivered under his touch. The men were scared, some of them thinking about their wives and children, and even if Mark felt guilty he would kill every last one of them because the Company had asked him to do it. He owed them that.

 _Half of them have barricaded themselves in the room._ Mark said.

 _That makes things easier._ Jaebum's 'voice' sounded confident. _We'll take out the six on the outside first and then I'll bring down the door. Grab whatever you think is important and then we'll get out of here._

They stuck to the shadows, feet silent on the tiled floor, and there was no other option but to attack outright. They had the element of surprise, though, as well as guns taken from the guards in the control room. They didn't usually bother with weapons but this mission kept getting more and more complicated and it was better to be safe than sorry. Not that they'd have been defenceless without them. They had knives hidden away under their clothes as well years of training in hand to hand combat training. They may have been outnumbered but both of them knew the men before them were no match.

Jaebum counted down then and on one they moved like lightening, guns glinting in the brassy overhead lights, and three of the guards were dead before they could even get off a single shot. But then the rest of the guards caught up with what was happening and they started firing. It was only by some miracle that Mark wasn't hit as he danced out of the way of the speeding bullets.

Jaebum wasn't so lucky.

Mark heard the strangled yell of pain in Jaebum's mind but he didn't falter in his attack. Mark pulled at the string of his thoughts to see where he had been hit and he was relieved when he discovered it was nothing more than a graze on his left shoulder.

He pulled at the red and orange threads that signified Jackson and Yugyeom and listened to their thoughts even as he knocked the gun out of the hands of the man in front of him with a well-timed kick.

They seemed about okay, just about finished with their data extraction, and he searched up and down their threads for any dark-coloured offshoots that signified that there were others nearby. He didn't find any. Still, he held onto their threads, not quite trusting himself after what had happened earlier.

It was enough to distract him because suddenly there was an arm around his neck and a gun at his temple.

“Drop the gun.” The guard whispered in his ear and Mark did as he was told, hand coming up to grasp at the arm cutting off his supply of oxygen.

Jaebum called his name and Mark rolled his eyes at him. It was only the three of them left on this side of the door and Mark knew Jaebum was about to do something drastic.

Mark beat him to it.

He tore at the grey thread of the guard's thoughts, feeling it fray, and the guard immediately loosened his grip. It allowed Mark enough leverage to rock forward before slamming the back of his head into the guard's face. The man let go entirely and in one swift movement Mark spun around, grabbing the gun from the guard's hand as he went, and he shot him straight between the eyes.

“We are definitely having words when we get back.” Jaebum said, his tone dangerous. Mark wasn't worried, he knew that Jaebum used anger to cover his worry.

 _Jackson and Yugyeom are on their way out._ Mark told him.

Jaebum nodded and he stretched his hands out in the direction of the solid steel door the rest of the guards were hiding behind.

The ground rumbled beneath their feet and the walls and floor groaned. Within seconds the wall was crumbling, taking large parts of the ceiling down with it, and Mark didn't wait for the dust to settle before he was raising his gun and shooting at the guards Jaebum had just exposed. They fell like flies.

“What is this place?” Jaebum asked as they climbed over bodies and broken slabs of concrete.

 _Another lab._ Mark answered.

It was brilliantly white where the dirt and the dust hadn't reached, reminding him too much of his life before the Company, and the rows of work stations were all empty except for one.

“What is it?” Jaebum asked and his fingers were gentle as he examined the black fabric, twisting it and turning it over, “a sweatband?”

It was made out of the wrong material to be any actual use catching sweat but it looked familiar and Mark realised with a start that he had seen some of the guards wearing similar bands on their heads.

 _Bring it with us._ Mark said, feeling uneasy.

Jaebum tucked it into his jacket pocket and he picked up the couple of files that had been left carelessly on the work station, “we'll take these , too.”

 _We need to go._ Mark told him and he could feel the mass of their thoughts moving in, crowding him. _There are people coming._

“How many?”

Mark counted quickly, _thirty at least_

Jaebum swore, “which entrance-?”

 _Both_. Mark grabbed Jaebum's hand, leading him from the ruined lab, searching the seemingly endless treads of thought until he found hat he was looking for. _Follow me._

Mark sprinted through the maze of corridors, Jaebum only half a stride behind him, and they killed anyone in their path. Mark's attention was split between blue, red and orange and the twisting shades of grey and black that signified the fresh wave of security forces that were spilling into the building. It made Mark's head pound to have to concentrate so hard and his steps weren't as quiet as they could have been.

They were approaching the emergency exit, nothing more than a few dozen metal rungs running up one of the walls to a hatch on the surface, and Mark felt relief flood through him. He searched for any threads but found none.

 _Just around the corner._ He said to the blue thread. _We-._

There were guards at the foot of the ladder, shooting at them as soon as they came into view, and Mark, who had been in the lead, wasn't quick enough to duck back around the corner they had just rounded.

The bullet hit him in the chest, ripping through the minimal body armour he had been wearing under his t-shirt, and he let himself fall back against the cold concrete wall as Jaebum used their superior vantage point to spray the guards with bullets. Mark took the time to assess the seriousness of the bullet wound, prodding at his chest and testing how deeply he could breathe without causing himself agony, and he knew it was bad but not debilitating. The bullet hadn't hit any of his ribs on the way through and had, at worst, perhaps only nicked one of his lungs. Again, he had been lucky.

Jaebum didn't bother asking him if he was okay once he had cleared the way. He instead pushed Mark towards the ladder and followed closely behind as Mark pulled himself up the rusted rungs. His whole side was on fire and his vision swam and Jaebum ended up having to support his weight as they neared the top and Mark's strength began to wane.

He was bleeding heavily, he could taste iron at the back of his mouth and he tried not to listen to the unnecessary concern in Jaebum's thoughts as he was splashed by falling blood. He'd be fine once he was seen to by a medic, he didn't understand why Jaebum was so worried about it. It was Mark's own mistakes that had got him to this point, Jaebum should be relieved that he, unlike Jackson, hadn't had to pay for them.

“Where are Yugyeom and Jackson?” Jaebum asked.

They had reached the top of the ladder and Mark clung to it as Jaebum climbed over him to open the hatch that led to the factory floor. He shot the guards that were waiting for them, eyes searching through the gloom for any further threats.

 _They're heading back to the highway._ Mark told him.

“Tell them to pick us up at the north side of the industrial district.” Jaebum said and Mark let him pull him through the hatch as the floor rumbled under their feet.

 


	3. Chapter Three

“I'm hungry.” Bambam whined, throwing his magazine down on the seat next to him. “I want something to eat.”

Youngjae – sweet and precious Youngjae, their sunshine, their warmth – actually picked up his backpack and starting rifling through it.

“I have some rice cakes in here somewhere, would they be okay?” He asked.

Jinyoung knew exactly what Bambam's response was going to be and he mouthed along to the words as the younger whined, “but I don't want rice cakes. Can't we go get something nice to eat?”

Jinyoung knew he should be more patient with Bambam. Mark had explained once that he only acted the way he did because he didn't know how to express what was really going through his head but by that point Jinyoung was beyond the point of caring. They'd been stuck in the same cramped space for nearly two hours and Jinyoung wasn't exactly well-known for his cool temperament.

“Will you be quiet for once in your life?” His words were harsher than they usually would have been.

He could see Bambam pouting in the rear-view mirror and he let out a put-upon sigh, counting in his head. He didn't get to fifty before Bambam asked, “how much longer are they going to be?”

Jinyoung opened his mouth to reply, a scathing put down on the tip of his tongue, but he stopped when he heard Mark's voice in his head.

 _Mission complete._ He said. _We're en route to your location, ETA thirty-five minutes._

There was no echo so Jinyoung knew he alone was being spoken to. That was never a good sign.

 _What's happened?_ Jinyoung asked, ignoring the questioning looks that were being sent his way. _Is everyone okay?_

 _Please can you request for a medic to be sent with the evac team?_ Mark asked and Jinyoung felt something in his chest twist.

 _What happened?_ Jinyoung repeated, becoming frustrated at having his questions ignored but also, deep down, knowing what that meant.

 _Things were more complicated than we expected they would be._ Mark told him. _JB will explain later. It's nothing serious._

 _That's hardly useful._ Jinyoung snapped at him but the hum in his mind had disappeared completely and he felt suddenly empty.

“It's gone.” Youngjae said, a hand coming to touch his temple. His expression was anxious and Jinyoung thought it might have been the first time since he joined the team that he hadn't had Mark's presence in his mind. “Has something happened?”

“It's nothing to worry about.” Jinyoung lied, keeping his tone light and dismissive. He reached across to the passenger and pulled out the cell phone that had been stored in the glove box. He dialled the only number stored in the contacts and it was picked up on the first ring. “Evac requested for thirty-five minutes. Medic required.”

He hung up without waiting for a response and tossed the cell phone back in the glove box.

“Medic?” Bambam repeated and then his face and voice twisted into Jinyoung's, though, his tone was far too bright and upbeat, “everything's great, guys, nothing at all to worry about!”

“I didn't say that.” Jinyoung rolled his eyes.

Bambam's face shifted back into his own and he pouted, “we're not going to be able to go get food if someone's covered in blood.”

Jinyoung didn't know what reality Bambam was living in, they had never stopped for food on the way back from a mission before. Or at least he hadn't.

“I'm sure Jackson will take you somewhere nice when we get back to Seoul.” Jinyoung said.

It was an old joke and overused but they both knew the steps well enough and Bambam followed his lead.

“You're still upset about that that, hyung?” It was Bambam's turn to roll his eyes.

“It has happened on a minimum of thirteen occasions over the last five years.” Jinyoung stated. “That's more than once every six months on average. Do you know how many times Jackson has taken me out to eat meat? Once.”

“It's not my fault,” Bambam smiled sweetly, “that Jackson hyung has taste.”

“Doesn't it feel weird?” Youngjae, cutting off Jinyoung's retort. “Like empty?”

“Take it as an opportunity to air out all your deepest, darkest secrets.” Jinyoung tried to distract him from the reason behind the quiet.

“I don't have any secrets.” Youngjae said, his brow creased.

“Please,” Bambam said, “everyone has secrets.”

“I don't.” Youngjae protested.

“Then why didn't you own up to eating Jackson's leftovers last month?” Jinyoung asked.

“That wasn't a secret! I just didn't want to get hit.”

“I can't believe that was you.” Bambam breathed. “Jackson hyung didn't speak to any of us for three days.”

Youngjae blushed, “it was an honest mistake.”

“Youngjae.” Jinyoung said, meeting Youngjae's eyes in the rear-view mirror. “That container had Jackson's name on it in four different places.”

“I'm going to tell him it was you.” Bambam smirked and Jinyoung tuned out the teasing that followed, his work finished for the moment.

He tapped at the steering wheel impatiently as he watched the clock on the dashboard slowly count down the minutes.

He hated times like this.

He hated the waiting and the not knowing. He was better at it than Jaebum but that didn't mean he liked it anymore than G7's leader did. He was just better at hiding it. He could, for example, understand Jaebum's foul moods when Bambam dragged out his role on missions longer than he needed to and he felt his own frustration at it, too. Because it wasn't as if either of them were mad at Bambam for wasting time – they both knew how much he enjoyed what he was doing – it was that they worried. The longer something went on for, the greater the risk of it going wrong. They all knew that, even if some of them, most notably Bambam but Jackson and Yugyeom could be just as bad sometimes, didn't seem to care. It was a habit that Jinyoung knew Jaebum was trying to break them of, especially on their high-stakes missions. It wasn't because Jaebum didn't trust any of them but because Jaebum was scared he wouldn't be quick enough or close enough to bail them out if something went wrong. Every time that one of them got hurt Jaebum saw it as a personal failure. He was their leader, after all, and he had promised to keep them safe. But he couldn't be with them every minute of the day and that was why he got so edgy when his plans weren't followed to the letter.

Jinyoung didn't feel the same responsibility as Jaebum. He was more logical, a bit further detached, but it still weighed heavily on his shoulders. As the leader of the set-up team, and Jaebum's second in command, he knew the others looked to him for answers. It was hard.

Their manners were completely different. Jaebum ruled with a iron fist when he needed to and could be harsh at times of great pressure. Jinyoung felt like he was never quite able to pull himself free of the ranks like Jaebum could, never quite able to dictate the team's actions, but the others listened to him all the same. They seemed more outwardly scared of disappointing him even if they constantly fought for Jaebum's approval and he was the one the others went to first if they had a problem.

They trusted Jaebum to lead them but Jinyoung to look after them.

And Jinyoung loved them all so much. They were his brothers, if not by blood then definitely by choice. But he couldn't hold himself responsible for their actions. It was too dangerous, too soul-destroying, a thing and he knew Jaebum was walking a thin line.

If something were to ever happen to one of them then Jaebum would never be able to forgive himself. That was what worried Jinyoung the most because he knew if Jaebum was to falter then the whole team would fall around him.

Jinyoung shook his head and looked back at the clock. Time had passed quickly and he worked hard to rouse himself from his melancholy thoughts, knowing the younger ones would be looking to him when the others arrived.

It didn't take long before he heard the rumble of tyres as a car travelled down the dirt track to the barn they had concealed themselves in. They really were in the middle of nowhere and there was no other reason for anyone else to be travelling out here but Jinyoung was on his guard. Mark hadn't called in to say it was the rest of the team that were approaching and Jinyoung knew there was no such thing as being too careful.

“Wait here.” He told the Youngjae and Bambam as he stepped out of the car.

He moved to the entrance of the barn and pulled his gun from the holster at his hip. He kept it trained on the car as it got closer and closer, not lowering it until he recognised the person driving the car as Jackson.

“Where's the evac team?” Jackson called from the window of the car as it pulled to a stop a couple of feet from where Jinyoung was standing.

Jinyoung looked at his watch before returning his gun to its holster, “they'll be here in a couple of minutes. You're early.”

“Of course.” Jackson shrugged as he slammed closed the door he just exited. He wasn't wearing his jacket and his t-shirt was stiff and stuck to the skin of his chest. Jinyoung knew that he must have been seriously injured during the mission and his heart clenched.“I was driving. Didn't Mark tell you?”

“No.” Jinyoung replied. “He must be getting sloppy.”

Jackson gave him a look and Jinyoung knew he'd said something he shouldn't have.

“Get Youngjae and Bambam, we'll be wanting to move out as soon as evac is here.”

Jinyoung nodded and re-entered the barn.

“Finally!” Bambam exclaimed when Jinyoung told him and Youngjae to get their stuff together. “What took them so long?”

“I'm sure we'll find out during debrief.” Jinyoung said.

Jackson joined them in the barn and began searching through one of the backpacks in the trunk of the car.

“Did you get shot?” Youngjae asked, eyes bulging at Jackson's t-shirt. “Are you okay? Did you, you know-?”

“Die?” Jackson finished for him. He smiled but it wasn't as mocking as it would have been with anyone else. Youngjae was still in awe of everyone's, and especially Jackson's, powers despite being with them for nearly two years. It made everything feel exciting again and Jinyoung knew that Jackson liked to show off for Youngjae when he got the opportunity. “Yeah, it was really intense. We got jumped by a group of security guards, they just came out of nowhere. I had to sacrifice myself to keep the others safe.”

“That didn't happen, did it?” Jinyoung asked, seeing straight through Jackson's bluff.

“No.” Jackson grinned and his peeled his t-shirt off. His torso was crusted with blood and he wiped at it with the baby wipes he had pulled out of his bag. “I really want a shower.”

“You can get one when we get back to the dorm.” Jaebum said, leading the others into the gloom of the barn, and Jinyoung was relieved to see that he looked okay for the most part, a little pale perhaps, his mouth set in a firmer line than usual, but in one piece. There was a rip in the shoulder of his jacket that pointed to a wound below but he didn't seem too bothered by it.

“Hyung.” Yugyeom's voice rang through the barn even though he whispered “Just a little bit further.”

Jaebum immediately moved back to help and between them they managed to get Mark to the van where the rest of them were stood.

“Nothing serious?” Jinyoung threw Mark's words back at him, eyebrows rising.

“He's still standing, isn't he?” Jackson asked, sneaking a look at the eldest of the group and Jinyoung knew him well enough to see the concern on his face.

“Barely.” Bambam muttered and it was true.

Jaebum had a hand on Mark's arm and another wrapped around his waist while Yugyeom was pressing what looked to be both his own and Jackson's jackets over the heavily bleeding wounds on Mark's front and his back. The maknae's face was grim and he was covered in blood up to his elbows and it was becoming increasingly obvious as the seconds slipped by that he and Jaebum were the only reason that Mark was upright at all. Mark's skin was grey and slick with sweat, his lips blue and wet with blood, and as hard as he tried he couldn't seem to get his legs to hold his weight.

Jinyoung gave him ten minutes before he was passed the point of no return.

“What happened?” Youngjae asked, eyes flicking between the blood and Jaebum's face.

Jackson snorted, “he got shot.”

“He'll be fine once evac gets here.” Jaebum said.

Jinyoung looked at his watch, “they're two minutes late.”

“Typical.” Jaebum muttered but his forehead was creased with worry.

“I'll give base another call.” Jinyoung said, already moving back to the van.

“Don't bother.” Bambam said and they all paused and listened. “The chopper's here.”

He was right, the sound of rotatory blades getting closer and closer, and Jinyoung took out his gun once more.

“Bambam, come with me.” He said, feeling on edge.

–

Jackson was pulling on a fresh t-shirt when the evac team entered the barn. He still felt dirty but it would do for the next couple of hours at least. He thought about treating himself to a bath when they got back to the dorms rather than just showering as normal. He wanted to feel clean again.

The medic was still with Mark by the time Jackson was finished and he watched their interaction with lazy eyes, interested but not overly so. The medic was too flashy with his powers, engulfing both himself and Mark in soft blue light when Jackson knew for a fact that he didn't have to do anything of the sort, and it took far too long to complete.

Jackson's own powers were far superior, of course, he just couldn't project them onto other people. Which sucked. If he had been able to heal Mark back at the factory then they'd already be in the chopper and closer to the dorm (and Jackson's bath) than they were currently.

But, at the same time, he was glad he couldn't. He knew that his powers were strong but he didn't think he could hold someone else's life in his own hands, be the only thing standing between them and death and not being enough to pull them back from the edge. It was too much pressure and he couldn't imagine how he'd feel if he wasn't able to save someone, especially someone he cared about.

Besides, it was all too reactive. Jackson was a man of action. If he could stop someone else from getting hurt, or worse, then he would. Even if it meant bringing pain and death on himself then he'd do it. A thousand times over.

Dying was horrible but he would do it if it meant he could save someone else.

Not that he threw himself into it. Not anymore. There had been a time, just after he'd joined the Company, when he'd pushed himself to do stupid things just to see how far his powers would go, to see if he was as invincible as all the scientists at the Company said he was.

He regretted it now.

He had been young and stupid and so incredibly _angry_ then, stuck on an endless path to self-destruction that he just hadn't been able to get off of, that he didn't doubt he would have found a way to prove he wasn't invincible after all.

But then Jaebum had smacked him upside the head, told him he was being an idiot and probably saved his life.

Now he hated dying. He actually behaved like a normal human being and avoided it if he could, only ever putting himself in situations where death was a likely outcome if it meant he could save someone else.

And, really, was it such a mystery that he avoided death if he could? After all, it was painful and terrifying and sometimes it would take minutes and others it could be over in a second and now Jackson had been to the edge he was scared that he could never be quite certain that this time wasn't really _it_.

But, all in all, today hadn't been as bad as it could have been. He had been dead before he'd even realised what had happened which was for the best, really. It hurt less that way.

That wasn't to say he wasn't pissed at Mark, because he was, it was just that he knew how good Mark usually was. It wasn't like him to be sloppy, definitely not when it came to their safety, and he wondered if there was something else going on. He didn't say anything, though, not when there were people around who weren't part of the team. He'd wait until they got back to their dorm.

He wandered over to where Jinyoung and Yugyeom were stood. They both were rubbing at the blood on Yugyeom's hands and arms with baby wipes Jinyoung had pulled from his own backpack and Jackson could have offered to help but he had only just gotten clean himself.

“I hate blood.” Yugyeom muttered. “It's disgusting.”

“Blood hates you, too.” Jackson said.

Jinyoung ignored him, “we're not going to be able to get it all off here, there's only so far the magic of wet wipes can go. You'll just have to wait until we get home to clean it off properly.”

“I'm going in the shower first.” Jackson told Yugyeom. “As Jinyoung as my witness, I have called first dibs.”

“But you'll use up all the hot water.” Yugyeom was pouting and Jackson told himself he had a stronger will than the maknae thought he had. “You take forever.”

“You should have called dibs then.” Jackson said. “I don't make the rules.”

“But you do uphold them.” Jinyoung pointed out with a smirk.

“What do you mean?”

“I don't know.” Jinyoung said, though the look on his face told Jackson he knew exactly what he meant. “What do you think I'm trying to say?”

Jackson narrowed his eyes and then decided he'd lost whatever mind game Jinyoung was trying to play and went to go see if Mark was nearly ready to go.

Evac was usually over in a matter of minutes. Normally they'd swap vehicles and get the hell out of dodge, leaving the evac team to clean up whatever mess they had left behind, but it was always different when one of them needed a medic.

Mark looked better without the blue glow. He was still ridiculously pale and unsteady on his feet but he wasn't bleeding anymore which was always a plus.

“Let me have a look.” Jackson demanded and didn't wait for a response before pulling at the blood-soaked material of Mark's t-shirts to look at the skin below. He let out an appreciative whistle at the shiny new scar on Mark's front, “nice but not quite sure it was worth getting shot for.”

Jackson thought Mark tried to glare at him but he was far too close to being asleep than being awake for it to carry much weight which was an unfortunate side-effect of being healed by a medic. They could only accelerate the rate at which a wound healed at rather than make it look like it had never happened. This meant that while Mark was no longer in any kind of danger, his body was still recovering from the trauma it had just gone through. It would probably be a couple of days of sleep and drinking loads of water before he began to feel like himself again.

Jackson was lucky that his own powers worked differently. His body didn't just fix itself, it rebuilt, and all in a matter of minutes. When he had been shot and died at the factory he had felt like his usual self the moment he opened his eyes. There was no recovery time and, maybe best of all, there were no scars.

Dying always left him feeling dirty, though, as if he had been through something unclean. He didn't like to think about why.

“Come on,” he said to Mark, taking him by the hand. “Let's get you cleaned up, can't have you smelling like a slaughterhouse all the way home.”

Mark let himself be wiped down and helped into a fresh t-shirt without a word and Jackson tutted and fussed as if he were the older man's mother. Jinyoung joined him when he had finished with Yugyeom and both of them took far too much pleasure from the act, teasingly Mark mercilessly despite the fact he was too out of it to take much of it in. They had fun, though.

Mark fell asleep on Jinyoung's shoulder in the helicopter back to Seoul and Jackson pretended to be both offended and jealous that Mark had chosen someone else to sleep on when he'd been the one to take time out of his day to clean him up.

It made Yugyeom and Youngjae smile and laugh so he didn't really mind how petty he sounded. He teased Bambam after catching the younger doing his hair in his reflection in the window which in turn became a roast session aimed at him, his tendency to pair ankle boots with colourful pyjamas pants coming under fire from all directions.

He played at being hurt but he didn't really care what the others said, he knew he looked good whatever he was wearing, and that even at their most savage they weren't trying to hurt his feelings. It was a good way of blowing off steam after a mission that had, in the end, been a lot more complicated than they had first anticipated.

They split into two cars when they landed and Jackson and the three youngest headed straight to the dorms while the other three went to HQ for debrief and, in Mark's case, a check up from the Company doctors.

Jackson beat Yugyeom to the shower but was mercifully quick, spending only an hour in the shower rather than his usual couple of hours. He wasn't merciful enough to keep Bambam from slipping into the bathroom after him, though.

He hid in his room to escape Yugyeom's wrath, knowing full well that the maknae could break down his door despite the lock, and had done in the past, if he was feeling particularly aggrieved. Yugyeom was feeling benevolent, however, and let him be after shaking at his doorknob a couple of times and complaining through the door.

Once he knew he was safe, he changed into his most outrageously patterned pyjama bottoms and a plain black t-shirt and left his hair to dry naturally. He went through the pockets of the trousers he had been wearing during the mission and removed the bullets Yugyeom had given to him after he had come to.

He spent a few minutes examining each one, not missing the irony of there being seven, before moving to his wardrobe. There was a box at the bottom, half hidden under an array of different weapons, which he pulled free. In it he had put every bullet that he had ever killed him and the seven from today joined the others. He shook the box so that they blended in with the others and let out a long sigh. The weight in his chest lightened and he knew it would disappear completely once he'd had chance to speak to Mark and find out what had caused him to miss the guard who had killed him.

He put the box back where it had come from and pulled the hoodie he had stolen from Jaebum a couple of months before down from where he had stashed it. He put it on before leaving his room.

Youngjae was in the kitchen eating some re-heated leftovers from the night before and he looked at Jackson, guiltily, when he entered.

“Are those mine?” Jackson asked, his eyes narrowing.

Youngjae shook his head and quickly swallowed what he had been chewing, “no. I checked the box, it didn't have your name on. Why? What has Bambam told you?”

Jackson's eyes narrowed further, “Bambam hasn't told me anything.”

Youngjae didn't look like he believed him. Jackson could see he was weighing something up in his mind and worked it out a split second before Youngjae spoke, warning, “don't you dare.”

“Tell the truth.” Youngjae said and Jackson did so immediately.

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

Youngjae let out a relieved laugh and jammed another forkful of food into his mouth.

“Youngjae.” Jackson said, his voice full of warning. “What are you keeping from me?”

“Maybe that it was him who ate your leftovers last month.” Bambam said, grinning wickedly as he entered the room.

“That was you!” Jackson rounded on Youngjae who was now choking on his food as he tried to defend himself. “You-!”

But Youngjae was saved by the door to the dorm opening and Jaebum, Jinyoung and Mark entering. He immediately went to hide behind Jaebum and clung to his jacket, using their leader as a shield whenever Jackson tried to make a grab for him.

“Hey!” Jaebum said, shoving first Jackson and then Youngjae away. “What's going on here?”

“Nothing.” Jackson answered but he shot Youngjae a look that made it very clear he was in for a beating later.

“I really don't want to know, do I?” Jaebum sighed.

“It's probably for the best that you don't.” Jackson agreed.

“Bambam, get Yugyeom.” Jaebum ordered and Bambam went to do as he was told as the rest of them moved into living room.

Jackson pulled Mark onto his lap as he bounced down on the sofa. Mark tried to move away but Jackson didn't let go. He asked, “are you feeling better?”

Mark nodded and didn't look at him.

“Is it just me that you're ignoring?” He lowered his voice so that no one else would be able to overhear. “Or is everyone else getting the silent treatment, too?”

Mark sighed and closed his eyes. The hum of Mark's presence returned to his mind and Jackson smiled. It had felt way too empty without it.

 _Better?_ Mark asked.

Jackson nodded and this time he let Mark go when he moved to get away.

They went through their usual mission debrief when Yugyeom and Bambam joined them. It was more of a high level overview than anything with Jaebum instead choosing to focus on what they had done well and what could be done better on future missions.

But, unlike previous missions, he paused as he got towards the end. Jackson watched carefully as Jaebum debated over how to say whatever it was that was on his mind.

“Are you going to spit it out?” Jackson asked when he couldn't take the silence anymore.

Jaebum glared at him before his gaze softened and he looked out of the window instead of meeting any of their eyes.

“There was something... off about this mission.” Jaebum said. “I'm not sure if any of you noticed. There were too many guards at the complex to say it how small it was and they seemed a bit too well prepared.”

Jackson shifted in his seat, unease making the hair on his arms stand on end. There had been something odd about the mission but it hadn't been until Jaebum had pointed it out that Jackson had really noticed.

“Our end of the mission went off without any issues.” Jinyoung said and he pulled what looked to be an envelope from his trouser pocket. “But I did find this in the safe.”

Jaebum took it when it was offered to him, “G7?”

“It could be nothing.” Jinyoung shrugged, though, he didn't look convinced.

“Too much of a coincidence.” Jaebum shook his head. He opened the envelope and pulled out the single sheet of paper that had been inside. He scanned its contents before passing it off to Jinyoung. “It's some kind of code. It doesn't mean anything to me.”

Jinyoung looked at it for a long time before passing it on for Bambam to look at, his brow creased in thought.

It went round them all without any of them being able to make any sense of it. It looked like a crossword puzzle more than anything, a big block of text, but there were numbers and symbols mixed in with the letters and Jackson had never been good at puzzles anyway. He shrugged, “looks like nonsense to me.”

He passed it back to Bambam to give back to Jinyoung for safe keeping and the Thai gave it one look over before laughing, “and we call ourselves super spies!”

“No, we don't.” Jaebum said.

“I've never called myself that in my life.” Yugyeom added.

“Never say that again.” Jackson warned.

Bambam rolled his eyes, “someone give me a pen.”

Youngjae threw him one that had been laying on the coffee table and Bambam started circling numbers, one from each column.

“It's my date of birth!” He said a little bit too happily.

“You do know that's a bad thing, right?” Jackson asked.

“Oh, yeah.” Bambam looked a bit put out and he didn't complain when Jinyoung snatched the pen and paper from him.

“Jaebum.” Jinyoung said as he began circling numbers just like Bambam had. “Youngjae. Me. Jackson. Yugyeom. Mark.”

Tension curled in the pit of Jackson's stomach, “well... that's not good.”

“Do you think it could have been a set up?” Yugyeom asked, biting at his thumbnail.

“To what end?” Jaebum looked like he knew the answer but he asked anyway. Jackson hated it when he did that. “They didn't kill us.”

“They could have.” Jinyoung reminded him and Jackson saw him throw a look in Mark's direction, though, he tried to be sly about it. Mark ignored him which was hardly surprising, he looked like he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open.

“But they didn't.” Jaebum said.

“Go on,” Jackson waved at him to continue. “Enlighten us.”

“I think they were testing us.” Jaebum told them. He pulled something out of his jacket pocket and threw it in Jackson's direction.

Jackson caught it, easily, “what is it? Some kind of headband?”

“Some of the guards were wearing them. That one who killed you...” Yugyeom trailed off.

Jaebum lifted the back of his t-shirt and pulled out two thin files he'd had tucked in the back of his trousers, “there's these as well.”

Jinyoung took them both and flipped through one, “they're mostly diagrams of whatever that thing is. Look,” he held up a page for them all to see, “you need to wear it like this. Can you see how the metal disks inside are meant to sit on your temples?”

Jackson felt for the metal discs stitched inside the thick, black fabric before slipping it onto his head so that the discs covered his temples.

“I don't feel any-.”

But Jackson didn't get to finish his sentence because the headband was being ripped from his head, fingers catching at stray hairs and pulling them from his scalp in their haste, and Jackson's eyes watered even as the pain faded within seconds.

Mark flinched away from the headband as if it had burned him and it fell onto the floor.

“What was that for?” Jackson asked and Mark didn't shrink away from everyone's gazes like he sometimes did.

“No!” Mark's body rocked like he had bellowed the word but all that had passed his lips was a hoarse whisper. It was the first time Jackson had heard his real voice in years and he couldn't stop his jaw from dropping. “No.”

Mark wavered on his feet but the fierce expression on his face didn't fade as he stared Jackson down.

“Mark hyung!” Youngjae jumped out of his seat and wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him. “What's wrong?”

The hum in Jackson's mind suddenly became a scream and everyone but Mark winced as it filled their heads.

Jaebum and Jinyoung were on their feet in an instant and Jackson could only watch as they rushed to Mark's side.

“Hey!” Jaebum said, sharply, and he slapped Mark's cheek with enough force to make Jackson wince but Mark didn't so much as flinch.

“Mark hyung.” Jinyoung squeezed both of Mark's hands in his own and tried to force Mark to meet his eyes. He looked like he was concentrating and Jackson wondered what he was saying to Mark in his mind.

Youngjae had retreated onto the sofa as soon as Jaebum and Jinyoung had made it to Mark and Jackson wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. Youngjae looked at him with wide eyes and Jackson pretended not to be effected as he felt.

The scream faded back into a hum and Jackson's ears rung.

 _Don't._ Mark echoed, unevenly. _Don't you ever wear that again. Don't any of you dare._

“What happened?” Jinyoung asked, his voice soft.

Mark stared into Jinyoung's eyes, his own wide enough for Jackson to see the whites from where he was sat, _the- it, it just turned black and there was no colour and Jackson was gone. I couldn't hear him at all. It_ hurt.

“I didn't know you cared.” Jackson quipped but it went ignored by the others.

“So, that's how that guard was able sneak up on us.” Yugyeom said, sitting up straight. “The headband blocks out the thoughts of whoever is wearing it.”

“Well,” Jackson said and the weight he had been carrying in his chest since he had died eased away into nothing, “that definitely explains a few things.”

“You see?” Jaebum's eyes were bright. “They were testing us.”

“Who, hyung?” Bambam asked. “And why?”

“Who would go to all that trouble?” Youngjae's voice held only the slightest tremor.

“I don't know.” Jaebum sighed before continuing on, determined, “but we have that headband and those files-.”

“The coded message, too.” Bambam said.

“Exactly. We need to find out what it means and why it was in that safe.”

“Shouldn't we talk to manager hyung?” Youngjae asked.

Jaebum shook his head and Jackson felt the same uneasiness that flashed onto Jaebum's face at Youngjae's question, “no, for the moment this stays between us, okay?”

“You're right.” Jackson said and for once he was totally serious. “This stays between the seven of us.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the end... for now! Youngjae's back story is in progress and I'm really excited about it. Hope you are, too! If you have any questions then please don't be afraid to ask :)


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